


The Story of a Law

by Toaverse



Series: The Normal Days [2]
Category: Onward (2020)
Genre: Ancient History, Faun/troll hybrid (mentioned, Gen, History tales, Mentions of Infant Death, Mentions of Interspecies relationship, Swearing, elf/cyclops hybrid (mentioned), some racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toaverse/pseuds/Toaverse
Summary: The days of old are known for its wonderful and magical history, where interspecies relationships never existed.But according to The Manticore, they did. And they where not received well...
Relationships: Faun Wizard/troll bard (mentioned)
Series: The Normal Days [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908358
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	The Story of a Law

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Days of Old](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950644) by [DiamondbackMako16](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondbackMako16/pseuds/DiamondbackMako16). 



> So, the concept of interspecies relationships was always interesting to me, especially when Onward came out!
> 
> So I wrote a fic about it!
> 
> Btw, there are references to the graphic novel; The Tales of The Manticore. Where some characters are mentioned as well. 
> 
> Since I know next to nothing about it, I gave the characters in the novel their names based on the sketchbook Scanlon has yeeted on Twitter:
> 
> -the faun Wizard is dubbed “Zavish”.  
> -the troll bard is dubbed “Horg”.  
> -the gremlin manager is dubbed “Razel”.  
> -and the sprite is confirmed to be named “Pamila”.
> 
> Also, there is a slight reference to DiamondbackMako16‘s fic called The Days of Old, so keep your eyes sharp! :D
> 
> Oh, and Sundra drops a few F bombs.
> 
> Enjoy!

“So, this was my shift already?” Ian asks as he puts a chair upside down on the table, since it’s closing time.

“Pretty much.” Corey answers as she switches the small board from ‘open’ to ‘closed’. “You did great though.”

“Thanks.” The 16 year old elf answers as smiles thankfully.

It hadn’t been that long since Ian started working at the new Manticore’s tarven. It was actually shortly after the Lightfoot brother’s great quest that the younger asked to work there and got a job interview. And since he’s at the suitable age to work, as well as most of the former tarven employees having resigned, he got the job.

And man, Ian can still remember how happy Barley was when he heard his little brother worked at The Manticore’s tarven.

Someone knocking on the restaurant door interrupts Ian’s thought. And both he and Corey look at the direction the sound came from.

“Sorry, but we’re closed!” Corey points out.

“It’s me!” Ian can barely hear his older brother say from the other side of the door.

Speaking of the devil...

Also hearing that it’s Barley, Corey opens the door to let him in, only to close it again.

“What are you doing here?” Ian asks Barley upon seeing him.

“Can’t I see my little brother at his work once?” He asks playfully, ruffling Ian’s hair. “Also, I wanted to ask The Manticore a few question about the days of old.” Upon asking, Barley lays a quite thick history book on one of the nearest tables.

“Well, its never too late to tell a few tales.” Corey says, thinking about the question for a few seconds, but eventually agrees. “What do you wanna know?”

“Okey, so you know about mom and Colt, right?” Barley asks, sitting down at the table while Corey nods in response. “Where interspecies relationships common back in the day, or not? Because I can’t find anything about it in here.”

The Manticore thinks about it as she sits down at the same table, trying to remember anything related to the question. “It wasn’t really that common at all back in the old days. But it was rather more labeled as rare and disgusting.” She answers.

Ian and Barley look at each other as Corey’s answer sinks in. “Have you met an interspecies couple?” Ian asks, also seeming to be interested in the topic.

“I once had to help an male elf and an female gremlin that seemed to be in a relationship.” Corey answers, looking away from the brothers for a moment, remembering that day very well. “They where really nice. But they said that the other creatures didn’t take it very well.”

Hearing that makes Ian shiver a little, knowing how his peers had treated him years ago for being by himself.

“What about reproduction?” Barley asks further. “Have you seen a mixed kid? Or can two different creatures even have kids?”

“Oh, that’s still illegal.” An entirely different female voice answers all the way from the kitchen.

Looking behind her from where the voice came from, Corey sees her only employee that didn’t resign from her first tarven.

“Sundra, I see you’ve already already changed.” Corey says, given the young cyclops’ normal clothes and her backpack in her left hand. “We where just discussing something history related.”

“I’ve heard.” The cyclops answers before she walks over to the table where the manticore and elf brothers are sitting. “Oh, and thank you for pissing off my boss so much to set the whole tarven on fire.” She says in a joking tone, specifically looking at Ian.

Upon hearing that, the younger brother looks away from everyone, feeling a bit ashamed at the thought of pushing Corey into such a burning rage.

Noticing this, Sundra quickly tries to reassure him. “Don’t worry, we can sue the crap out of her if she does it again.” She says, laying a hand on his shoulder. Luckily, it does make Ian feel a bit better, despite Corey’s glare at Sundra.

“So, mixed species kids are...illegal?” Barley asks, wanting to know more about the subject.

“As sad as it is to say, yes.” Sundra answers as she grabs a chair and settles herself between the brothers. “Mainly to prevent the population from being physically messed up.”

“But what about marriage?” Ian asks, feeling a bit confused about all of this. “If the law doesn’t want the population to be messed up, then why legalize different species getting married?” He asks further, remembering that their mother married Colt not that long ago.

“That has been legalized 6 years ago. But it’s still looked down upon.” Sundra answers, causing the brothers more confusion. “The law is quite weird and fucked, I know.”

“Language!” Corey calls out. “There are children present!” She says lastly, making Sundra throw her hands up in surrender.

“But are they allowed to adopt instead?” Barley continues to ask.

“As far as I know, they’re allowed to.” The cyclops answers. “But adoption centers are allowed to refuse.”

At this point, both Lightfoot brothers look at the ground for a moment, not being able to help but think the same thing; ‘racism at its finest...’.

“But how can such a disgraceful law come to this?” Barley can’t help but ask.

“Well, I guess The Manticore has a tale up her sleeve.” The cyclops says, looking straight at her boss with a sly smile on her face as she’s slowly rubbing her hands together. “Right, Corey?”

Having all 5 eyes on her as well as the subject the three teens have been talking about, Corey instantly got a not so happy story on her mind where she wasn’t even mostly present.

“Well, I might have one to share-“

“Tell! Tell! Tell! Tell!” Both Barley and Sundra cheer as if they’re two kids about to get a kids menu.

“Okey okey, calm down!” Corey says, causing the two teens to instantly stop their cheering and went dead silent, waiting for The Manticore’s glorious story.

Now that that’s finally over, it’s time for a...not so happy tale.

“I had heard about a mixed kid being born around 800 years ago.” Corey starts, already having a rather noticeable sad tone. “More specifically, I knew their parents.”

Barley, Sundra, and Ian all look at each other, all three knowing that this tale wouldn’t have a glorious ending like the other ones, given Corey’s lack of passion.

But regardless, they plan on hearing it all out.

“There was this group who I had to help. A sprite named Pamila, a gremlin named Razel, a troll named Horg, and a faun named Zavish.” Corey continues, not making it easier for herself. “The latter two where already a thing when I met them, but they didn’t really get a happy ending...”

“Wait, you mean Orion’s apprentice, Zavish the Scandalous?” Barley asks upon remembering the faun’s name. But given the subject they’re talking about, it quickly clicks in his head as to how her title came to be. “Oh...”

“So a troll and a faun had a baby.” Ian says, to which Corey slowly nods. “How is that even...possible?”

“Well, when two creatures love each other very much, they-“ Sundra starts to explain. But stopped after seeing Corey’s look, basically telling her to shut up.

“Many months after I helped them, Pamila came to me. She told me that there was a mixed creature child born, and asked me what they should do. She sounded quite distressed, so I just went with her.” Corey continues, trying to hide the sad tone in her voice. “And there they where, the same troll and faun I’ve helped, held their own flesh and blood...”

She remembered the scene like it was yesterday. When she arrived, Horg was holding the infant while Razel was trying to calm down a heavily stressed Zavish. After having calmed the faun down just a little bit, She almost begged her and Horg to get away the other creatures and find a more peaceful place to stay before things got any worse, but Pamila said that they wouldn’t let them unless they’re sure the baby isn’t alive anymore.

Apparently, the huge majority found a mixed species child unnatural, disgusting, weird, and not worthy of the time of day. 

The day after The Manticore gave advise to her friends on what to do, other creatures started to come to her, asking how they can get rid of the infant they deemed a monster. Corey just walked past them and didn’t gave them a response. But that probably made things worse...

“What...what happend to the baby?” Barley asks, despite his gut saying that it isn’t anything good.

“The villagers drowned him...” Corey gets out after taking a deep breath. “They found mixed species kids monstrous that don’t deserve the time of day. So after not being able to convince Horg and Zavish to get rid of the infant, they just took it upon themselves...”

The three teenagers all went silent, while processing what they had just heard. More specifically Barley, who thought that the era of magic was known as the most wonderful one, has become speechless at hearing blatant racism.

After what felt like a forever silence, Sundra grabs her bag and pulls out what looks like a history book and looks around for a specific page.

“So, they drowned an infant just because it looked heinous to them...” Ian says, looking down at the table as Corey slowly nods. “That’s...that’s horrible...”

“Apparently, this infant is suppose to be heinous and ugly to us.” Sundra says after finding the page she was looking for, and shows an image to the two brothers.

There, on the image, is a dark purple skinned satyr infant wrapped around in a white blanket. But some troll features are noticeable as well. Unlike other satyrs, he has small troll ears, as well as what looks like a sharp canine tooth sticking out.

But regardless of all that, it’s still an adorable baby. The image even earns a small “aaw.” from Ian.

“But he wasn’t the only hybrid born in the old days.” Sundra continues, turning the page to reveal another mixed kid.

This one was obviously conceived by an elf, given his blue skin and pointy ears. The only “weird” thing about him is that he had one eye instead of two, exactly like a cyclops.

The only fact that’s recorded is it’s parents, and that this one lived until the age of 5.

“Could this one be from princess Velma?” Barley asks. “She was also in a interspecies relationship, but it’s unknown with who.”

“Oh no, she never had children.” Sundra answers. “But you where not far off, as his mother was another elf warrior named Tiriana.” She continues, pointing to a illustration of said elf on the right page. “Am I right, Corey-“

But the teenage cyclops doesn’t finish her sentence upon seeing the incredible sad face of her boss. Ian and Barley do too, and are just as surprised.

They have never ever seen the century old warrior this sad before. And even if Corey would feel the urge to cry, she would push it aside and hold herself together and strong.

But given the topic of literal racism and infant death, as well as the fact that The Manticore saw a mixed kid from two of her friends and later heard that it got purposely drowned. And when it hits hard, it’s really difficult pushing your feelings aside this time.

Something that Barley can heavily empathize with.

“Corey?” He asks concerned, reaching his right hand out a little. “Are you okey?”

“Y-yeah, I’m...I’m fine.” She answers, wiping her burning tears away. “I just didn’t know it would hit me this hard...”

“Hey, it’s okey to let it all out.” Barley reassures her, as Ian nods in agreement. It surprisingly works, given Corey’s soft smile.

“I think this is enough for today.” Sundra says, closing her history book before putting it in her backpack. “We should probably go home.”

Ian, Barley, and Corey all nod in agreement at the suggestion.

They all stand up and put the chairs on top of the table to keep it tidy.

“Should I help you with the rest?” Ian offers, feeling like he isn’t fully done with his shift yet.

“I’ll handle it from here.” Corey answers, giving him a soft smile.

“Well be there if you ever need to talk.” Sundra says, making the manticore feel a bit better.

Corey nods, understanding what the cyclops means, before the three teens walk out of the door.

Looking at the closed door for a few seconds, the manticore can’t help but think fragments of the old days again, as well as the current days.

They might be very different, and very much the same. But both needed and need by far improvement.


End file.
